Tag Archives: Paternal

Since March is Woman’s month, I hope to write about some of the women in my tree. The story of this half-aunt is not what I had in mind, but I have suddenly inched forward in knowledge of the mysterious half sister of my father. So I am taking a break from the maternal Stout line to update the life of my paternal grandmother’s illegitimate daughter.

I first wrote about this mystery woman in December 2014. Since then, I have not added an inch of information to her page on my family tree. Until yesterday. In replying to an email of a fellow researcher, I decided to double check my information. Since I had recently read on Amy Johnson Crow‘s site about some techniques for searching without a name when looking for females, I followed a suggested search technique, in which I used only the subjects first name, and the name of her mother, plus the place that they lived.

Voila! A marriage license popped up. I was very excited, assuming that would lead to a whole lot of other information. It did not. Here’s what I now know–and what I still don’t know about my father’s half-sister.

Follow The Changing Name

September 18, 1891, Mary Isadore “Mame” Butts (my paternal grandmother) gave birth to a baby girl. The Ohio Births and Christenings Index lists the child of Mary I Butts and George Sapp as Casalena, with the same date.

May 8, 1892, St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Danville, Ohio, recorded the christening of Catherine, daughter of Maria Butts and George Sapp (Non-Catholic). Sponsors Jonathan Colopy and Wife.

1893, Mary Isadore “Mame” Butts married Cliff Kaser.

June 1900 Census, Mary I and Clifford Kaser and two children, five and two years old, are living in Coshocton, Tuscarawas County, Ohio.

A Short Marriage

December 1910 Marriage License. Kathleen Butts, 20, marries Basil Hunter. Her age is 20 on September 18, 1910. She lives in Buckeye, Ohio and her occupation is nurse. Her mother is Mame Butts and her father’s line is left blank.

**September 29, 1913, According to newspaper article (below), she leaves her husband and disappears.

June 5, 1917, The Democratic Banner, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, says that Basil Hunter is filing for divorce from Cathleen Hunter claiming that his wife left September 29, 1913 and he has no knowledge of her whereabouts. The couple have no children.

September 26, 1919, the newspaper announces that the divorce from Cathleen Hunter is granted to Basil Hunter

**My last sighting of Catherine/Katherine, Cathleen,Kathleen Butts/Hunter. So the mystery remains. Did she run off with another man? Did she change her name yet again? Did she actually get married again? Did she have children? Did she stay in Ohio or move away? When did she die? No family members ever reported seeing her after 1913.

I owe what I have found out recently about my missing aunt to helpful people on Geneology: Just Ask on Facebook and other helpful people on the Knox County, Ohio site, as well as Amy Johnson Crow’s hint. Where do I go next?

How I Am Related

Vera Marie Badertscher is the daughter of

Paul Kaser, who is the son of “Mame” Butts Kaser. She is also the mother of

Cathleen, Catherine, Katherine, Kathleen Butts Hunter _____???

Research Notes

Christening Record, St. Luke Catholic Church, Danville, Ohio. Besides the fact that I have seen the record myself, a transcript of these records is available at Ancestry.com, St. Luke’s Records, 1829 to early 1900’s

Ohio Births and Christenings Index 1800-1962, from Ancestry.com First name is spelled Casalena